Fought says, at first, she thought the mountain lion was their bigger dog Leo.

Her daughter says she knew something was wrong because of the smaller dog's bark.

"I knew it wasn't like Leo, because it wasn't her normal bark," Peso said. "Because she plays with him a lot and it didn't seem normal."

Mountain lions are very familiar in these parts. They usually keep their distance from homes, but a couple years ago, Fought says one attacked their horse.

Their worry is that the cat may return.

"Gonna get like a lock or something," Fought told ABC7 News. "So the door only opens a little bit."

A California game warden tried finding paw prints to help track the big cat down. If authorities can find it, they have a few options, including capturing it and shipping it elsewhere so it doesn't return.

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